CSS Alabama by J11 - Revell - 1/96 scale - PLASTIC - kit bash 90% historical accuracy

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work   and cant wait to follow your new build.

 

OC.

[J11]

@Bob Cleek, appreciate the information and was exactly what I was needing. As many of us I have multiple kits and the saw would be a family heirloom in producing the quality parts for many of them. So I'm on the hunt and again really appreciate the input as my older saw is gone bye-bye and haven't bought one in years, they have changed from my old craftsman. 

 

[J11]

Thank you @Old Collingwood. Here's a couple of images for the dingy and other small boat installation which is finally finished.

 

 

[J11]

Here's a new video, which is dear to our hearts:

 

USS America Sailing With A Whopping Two Dozen F 35Bs Embarked Aboard to South China Sea

 

And of course my model representation --- 

 

[CDW]

Awesome!

 

[Old Collingwood]

Very very nice  - shame they wasn't  AV8's  though.

 

OC.

[J11]

Giving some closeups of the dingy along with adding walnut to the Revell bases for added detailing since I'll be using them for the mounts.

 

Working with title plate also (work in progress)

 

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent woek.

 

OC.

[J11]

Thanks @Old Collingwood, here's a couple images of when I lined the CSS Arkansas with cherry. Turned out really nice and then added tung oil and worked perfectly. I'll be coating the bases with tung oil also.

 

[J11]

Working on boom assemblies and finished with lining the bases with walnut, the bases will have to dry for awhile and then I'll add the tung oil and post them when they dry. Will be a couple of days for them to dry. Be working also on painting the miniature men for the ship and hopefully I have them done in a couple of days. Thanks for all the likes and appreciation with compliments. 

 

Bunch of parts have been ordered and will probably be here this week and can start on the sails and rigging of them, so I'm new at the sail making with model span and hopefully will turn out ok.

 

[J11]

CSS Alabama has a captain and officers. Slow and precise work for the crew painting with as much detail as possible to enhance the model. I figure a couple more days and the crew will be done and I will mothball them in individual packets so not to destroy the delicate paint work and keep that pesky dust off.

 

Getting great practice for the Vasa pieces when all of those have to be historically painted. For the Vasa pieces it will probably be three or four months to complete them as I have been going over the coloring detail for the build. Wow! What a colorful ornate ship she was. Some members here have done such exquisite work on the Vasa builds that it's like having your own private tutor to produce the model. I compliment all of them for sharing the builds and technics in producing such artistic representations with many thanks for reference material to work from.

 

If I can get the sail making down pat; by George the Vasa will have them too. I guess you can tell I'm itching to get her started as I am hoping for a couple needed saws and sanding equipment to work on her. (Christmas presents) Hint, hint  Santa Claus (Sweetie??) He he he .....

 

 

[CDW]

Nice paint work on those figures. They will add a lot to the model. 

[J11]

Thanks @CDW, fortunately my sweetie had gotten the mirco brushes for me last Christmas. They work great and highly recommend them if one is to do this type of detailing. Cool thing was I got two sets!

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work all the way around.   I guess I had it easy when I did my Billing's Vasa some time ago.... at that time they thought all the figures were gold.

[Old Collingwood]

1 hour ago, Jonathan11 said:

CSS Alabama has a captain and officers. Slow and precise work for the crew painting with as much detail as possible to enhance the model. I figure a couple more days and the crew will be done and I will mothball them in individual packets so not to destroy the delicate paint work and keep that pesky dust off.

 

Getting great practice for the Vasa pieces when all of those have to be historically painted. For the Vasa pieces it will probably be three or four months to complete them as I have been going over the coloring detail for the build. Wow! What a colorful ornate ship she was. Some members here have done such exquisite work on the Vasa builds that it's like having your own private tutor to produce the model. I compliment all of them for sharing the builds and technics in producing such artistic representations with many thanks for reference material to work from.

 

If I can get the sail making down pat; by George the Vasa will have them too. I guess you can tell I'm itching to get her started as I am hoping for a couple needed saws and sanding equipment to work on her. (Christmas presents) Hint, hint  Santa Claus (Sweetie??) He he he .....

 

 

Now that takes it to the next level  - adds an edge of realism  about it  - love it.

 

OC.

[J11]

Thanks @Old Collingwood, there in good shape also and the detail on them is excellent for the tiny paint work. I am impressed with how detailed they are being so small. Revell did good mold work for these also as just a small amount of clean up for each one to fine tune them.

[J11]

32 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Beautiful work all the way around.   I guess I had it easy when I did my Billing's Vasa some time ago.... at that time they thought all the figures were gold.

Thanks @mtaylor, I have seen the blogs with just the gold figurines and even those are exquisite model representations. The Billings kit is a great representation but man; a bunch of hours on her to complete. Seems I'll be mixing my own colors for the figurines also as there is such a variation in the scheme.

 

I mixed a couple for the one's I'm working on now to get the command CSS Navy blue right along with the skin tone as close as possible. Thought I would add some miniature rigging coils on a few of them also once they are dried. So stay tuned Ya'll.

 

Here's the scheme I used:

 

I will try to add the belts and buckles once they do dry completely for a day or so.

 

 

[J11]

Quick update, crew is finished and will be set aside till all the other work is done on the sails and rigging.

 

[J11]

I'm uploading my research artists image file of the CSS Alabama for others to have if they decide to tackle building her in the future. It's a bunch of images from many different sources and so far seems to be all of the Alabama images out there until others are found or presented. Total 29 megs so I might have to split this up in three posts. So I'll start with this one and add others in the next few days.

 

There's the first set gentlemen, after I get all of them loaded if anyone has any which i don't have please post them.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Jonathan11

[captain_hook]

Nicely done. 

[J11]

@captain_hook, thanks. Here's the second set of Alabama images:

 

I'll have a few more in the third post.

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

hey there Johnathan........really nice job you've done....she's look'in great!  really liking these pictures too  

[J11]

@popeye the sailor, thanks. Hopefully she will be finished soon. Also appreciate all the likes, Here's the last for the image files except the historical deck images which I'm sure everyone who has interest has seen, so I won't post those.

 

I have quite a lot of extra parts and material inbound so bear with me as they should start arriving by Friday. I have sail material and other items along with "BlueJackets" customer service help to get her done. Were down I feel to a month or two for completion.

 

Excellent plans for helping in the build:

Really appreciate the interest and hope in the future that my other builds will be as educational and inspiring. This is a really nice kit to do extreme detailing on. I do look forward to someone doing the USS Kearsarge in extreme detail also.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Jonathan11

[ScottRC]

I have been away for awhile and it seems a lot of great research materials and a wonderful build progress was added Jonathan.  I think your jib arrangement will be fine and I thank you for posting the blue prints. The Alabama had such nice lines.  

Scott

[J11]

@ScottRC, glad to help, look forward to you're future builds also. 

[J11]

Quick update, some parts and piece's are coming in, will be working on the masts some. The mounting stands are done in tung oil and dried also shown.

 

[J11]

Update on progress: To complete the prep before sail, rigging and mounting to the fore mast has taken about five hours for one yard, so far the next few days; this is what is being worked on. As we all know, very gently these are being installed; so to make sure I can tighten the associated rigging fairly tight when that installation comes. Each one of the blocks rigging are drilled into the yard, then tied and wrapped for securing.

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Jonathan11

[J11]

Gauging update: Working to see the placement of the yard on the fore mast along with the placement of the boom yard to make sure all the parts are going to function and placement is exact for sail mounting; I have imaged a few to give everyone the eye view of how this is coming together after all the tedious length measurements along with multiple plan usage to gauge the building for these additional detail parts.

 

Looks like it has paid off and the rigging so far with sail placement will be non-interfering with each other along with tie down locations. Once the rigging and sail placement does commence after I have all of these yards done for prep, it will be a very careful installation. This rascal is so fragile I cannot make a mistake as it would be a disaster. 18 blocks are on the lower yard for the fore mast and the main mast, e-gads I have only one completed....  

 

Lower yard temporarily placed on fore mast: 

Boom yard extended for placement gauging:

Looking down for lineup of both yards:

Now I know how a crew member would feel being at the top of the mast ... yikes ... what a ride!  

 

Slowly she's starting to look like a ship of the 1860's. I also do encourage others to tackle this ship. There are many excellent kits available to choose from out on the market. There are a couple older wooden kits out of production which can be had on ebay, just have to watch for them. I have noticed that the Revell plastic kit always sells when they do pop up and seems I have seen at least two to three sell each month for the past year. Hope to see a couple more builds here at MSW using the same kit in the future. The "BlueJacket" Kit is the best I feel out there and highly recommend it. I couldn't afford the price for it, if I could have it would be being built.

 

My build is showing what can be done on a budget to produce a high quality CSS Alabama representation as other members are doing here at MSW. Bash baby bash! Your only limitations is your imagination in creativity. Thanks for all the likes and interest!!

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Jonathan11

[Hubac's Historian]

Johnathan, your Alabama looks amazing, and she’s really rounding into form.

 

You’ve commented frequently that the masting and spars are extremely fragile.  Is this particular kit a very old pressing?

 

The plastic kit I’m working on is almost as old as I am - well over 40 years - but I have found the plastic to be as supple as if it were cast yesterday.  I have the benefit of knowing where the kit has been, all that time though, and that it was properly stored.

 

Funnily enough, I remember that my neighbor also had an un-built Alabama in his stash, but I think his oldest son took that one, after he died.  His wife passed Soleil Royal on to me because she understood my obsession with the ship.

 

Anyway, I have very much enjoyed your willingness to take it to the Nth degree, and the high quality results you are achieving are testament to your sense of craft and respect for historic accuracy.  You give us plastic builders a good name!  I can’t wait to see your work with the sails.

[JesseLee]

She is looking beautiful!